What did the doctor say about the incident where a student drank water from a blackboard cleaning cloth?
Experts believe that if whiteboard erasers are used with markers, the harm will be more severe because they contain industrial chemical solvents that irritate the throat and cause burning sensations in the digestive tract.
On the afternoon of April 5th, the incident in Hai Phong where a third-grade student was punished by her teacher by being forced to drink water used to wash a blackboard cleaning cloth sparked intense public outrage. Parents were shocked by this heartbreaking event. From a medical perspective, experts also expressed their opinions due to the health implications.
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| The whiteboard is a common teaching aid in schools today. |
According to Dr. Phan Thai Son, Head of the Emergency Department at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, using chalk to wipe the board causes less irritation, while using a whiteboard eraser causes more severe harm because it mainly contains industrial chemical solvents like acetone and color-fixing chemicals. This harm directly irritates the throat, manifesting as burning and blistering.
"The human mouth is easily irritated, especially in young children whose oral mucosa is very thin and therefore more susceptible to irritation. If the water used to wash the whiteboard contains these substances, ingesting it will cause severe irritation in the digestive tract, esophagus, stomach, and burning sensation in the mouth...", Dr. Son explained.
